Jean-Eric Vergne, a former Formula 1 competitor, recently commended Max Verstappen for his favourable view of Formula E, the all-electric racing series that has been met with both interest and skepticism.
Although initially seen as a potential rival to Formula 1, Formula E now boasts participation from leading automakers but continues to face criticism for its lack of speed and horsepower.
"It's not a category I would like to drive in myself in the future," Verstappen, a three-time world champion, admitted.
His critique extended to the new street circuit in Tokyo, humorously remarking that the architect "must have been drunk" to include a "proper jump" in the design.
"But I think from the driving and the racing, I always enjoy it because the talent in the series is very high and that makes it more exciting to watch. A couple of my friends are driving in there as well, so I always keep an eye on it."
The Formula E lineup is notable for its inclusion of several former Formula 1 drivers such as Pascal Wehrlein, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Nyck de Vries, who recently left Alpha Tauri.
In an interview with Automoto in Italy, Vergne, aged 33 and formerly with Toro Rosso, lauded Verstappen for his well-informed stance on Formula E.
"Some other drivers don't know what they are talking about," the French driver pointed out. "Some just talk nonsense about Formula E. Verstappen watches all the races where possible and is friends with many of the Formula E drivers, so it's nice to get this comment from him. Because of all the races he watches, and I know he watches everything, and all the races he does on the simulator, I think he understands quite well what we do with the cars," Vergne elaborated.
"I don't know if we are the most technical, but it is certainly true that I have more homework to do in Formula E than in the WEC or F1," he concluded.
